MATHEMATICS
"Pure mathematics is, in its way, the poetry of logical ideas."
Albert Einstein
Intent- What we want our children to learn....
At Guestling Bradshaw CE Primary School we follow a Mathematics Mastery approach and believe that all children have the potential to succeed and access the same curriculum content. Maths is an essential skill in everyday life, so we aim to develop and improve children’s ability to reason, problem solve, work systematically while also improving their logical thinking skills.
We have adopted the maths mastery approach using White Rose Maths as our main scheme of work. The programme provides planning support for an ambitious, connected curriculum accessible to all children right through from Year 1 up to Year 6. The maths curriculum at Guestling is planned and sequenced so that new knowledge and skills build on what has been previously taught.
In EYFS we follow the NCETM mastering number scheme of work to teach mathematics. This is supplemented by White Rose and Numberblocks to ensure full coverage of the Early Years outcomes. We teach our Early Years children through a play based curriculum in which they can explore and develop their mathematical understanding. Indoor and outdoor learning opportunities are readily available to all children through continuous and enhanced provision.
The principles of a Teaching for Mastery Approach are:
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Coherence
Connecting new ideas to concepts that have already been understood, and ensuring that, once understood and mastered, new ideas are used again in next steps of learning, all steps being small steps
Representation and Structure
Representations used in lessons expose the mathematical structure being taught, the aim being that students can do the maths without recourse to the representation
Mathematical Thinking
If taught ideas are to be understood deeply, they must not merely be passively received but must be worked on by the student: thought about, reasoned with and discussed with others
Fluency
Quick and efficient recall of facts and procedures and the flexibility to move between different contexts and representations of mathematics
Variation
Varying the way a concept is initially presented to students, by giving examples that display a concept as well as those that don’t display it. Also, carefully varying practice questions so that mechanical repetition is avoided, and thinking is encouraged. (NCETM)
At Guestling Bradshaw CE Primary School we believe it is essential for all children to develop a secure understanding of number. In EYFS and KS1 we follow the NCETM mastering number scheme. This scheme aims to secure firm foundations in the development of good number sense for all children. The aim over time is that children will leave KS1 with fluency in calculation and a confidence and flexibility with number. Attention will be given to key knowledge and understanding needed in Reception classes, and progression through KS1 to support success in the future. In KS2, we have a daily fluency session that focuses on number and develops the children’s reasoning skills. These sessions require all children to make and justify decisions in all areas of mathematics.
The NCETM mastering number scheme provides additional activities that can be used as interventions to further support children’s understanding. We also use the Hands-on Maths intervention programme which encourages all children to enjoy a range of mathematical concepts through a practical and hands-on approach. Children will explore and represent key mathematical concepts using a range of everyday objects and common mathematical resources.
All children are suitably challenged, supported and encouraged to engage and excel in Maths. All mathematical concepts are introduced using a ‘Concrete, Pictorial and Abstract’ (CPA) approach. Starting with the concrete, it allows all children, in all year groups, to experience hands-on physical learning when discovering new or reviewing previous mathematical learning. This is then built upon and allows the children to use their understanding to apply their maths to the pictorial or abstract, with concrete resources to support if needed.
Implementation
Our whole school approach to the teaching and learning of maths involves the following.
- From Year 1 through to Year 6, maths is taught daily using the White Rose Scheme of Work. Teachers deliver a maths mastery curriculum that is engaging and meets the needs of all children through scaffolding, manipulatives and quality first teaching.
- In EYFS, maths is taught daily using the NCETM Mastering Number scheme of work.Children’s learning is developed through purposeful play based experiences which are represented in a variety of indoor and outdoor environments.
- Using NCETM Mastering Number and the No Nonsense Number Fact schemes, arithmetic skills are practised daily in maths fluency lessons to ensure key mathematical concepts are embedded. This then helps to support the children to recall mathematical concepts and then use these across our curriculum.
- Children learn mathematics through the ‘Concrete, Pictorial, Abstract’ approach. Children will use manipulatives to represent mathematical concepts before moving to pictorial representations, and finally abstract representation (i.e. numerical symbols). Teachers model different ways of representing solutions to a problem in order to develop children’s conceptual variation and reasoning skills. Children are encouraged to move between these in order to fully understand a mathematical concept. A wide range of accessible resources are used to challenge all children and give them the chance to reason and explain their maths learning and knowledge.
- Whole class feedback is used to support all learners and to address common misconceptions. Time is given to review previous and current learning to ensure maths skills are embedded across all maths topics. Teachers can then use this to address gaps through pre-teaching, target groups in lessons and by ensuring that interventions are being used to support children.
- Children’s mathematical skills are also enhanced through the learning planned for other curriculum subjects and included in our outdoor learning.
- Teachers use STEM sentences to give the children the tools to articulate their understanding using key mathematical knowledge and vocabulary. With the children we create working walls to prompt, embed and review their learning.
- We use Mathletics and Times table Rockstars to set weekly homework relating to children’s current learning to review and support their understanding.
Assessment
Formative Assessment: Pupils are continuously assessed and monitored during a lesson using a variety of Assessment for Learning (AFL) strategies. Questioning, quizzes and informal assessment tasks inform our teachers about their pupils’ understanding and allow them to tackle misconceptions within the lesson and plan for the next steps in leaning and further intervention for some pupils if necessary.
Summative assessment: More formal testing takes place 3 times a year. These results, together with teacher assessments form discussions in termly Pupil Progress Meetings and update our summative school tracking system. The main purpose of all assessment is to always ensure that we are providing excellent provision for every child and that we ensure good progress for all pupils.
Important Documents
Impact
At Guestling Bradshaw CE Primary School the impact is that all children build solid foundations in their understanding of maths, learning through a Maths Mastery approach.
As a result of this, we will have
- Engaged children who are all challenged appropriately.
- Confident and articulate children who can all talk about maths and how it may link to other concepts or areas of the curriculum.
- Lessons that use a variety of resources to support learning across the school, including CPA and outdoor learning areas.
- Children who can represent and explain different maths concepts in a variety of ways.
- Learning that is tracked and monitored to ensure gaps are addressed and children build on previous learning.
LINKS
BBC Bitesize - click on the keystage, than the subject you are interested in.
Topmarks - games and activities, including foundation stage.
NRich - activites for all ages, enriching mathematics.
MyMaths - lessons, worksheets and games to help children practise what they have been learning in class.
Mathletics - engaging, supportive and targeted to the National Curriculum, from Foundation Stage upwards.